


Run like the wind, sting like a bee

by WhiteBeakedRaven



Series: of freedom and chains [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Administrator Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Escape, Gen, Hurt, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Prison, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29533662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteBeakedRaven/pseuds/WhiteBeakedRaven
Summary: Dream wasn't weak. He was strong, independent and in control. Until the prison. As the harsh conditions of Pandora's Vault chip away at his sanity and strength, he comes to the realization he won't be able to endure it forever.A conclusion is formed and a plan hatched. Let's see how truly impossible escape is.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: of freedom and chains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171616
Comments: 23
Kudos: 447





	Run like the wind, sting like a bee

**Author's Note:**

> A little something that just wouldn't leave my head after a discussion with @isaamsmrts on Tumblr. See her [ post ](https://isaamsmrts.tumblr.com/post/643144475695366144/i-had-this-discussion-with-whitebeakedraven-and-i) for more context. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The realization set in suddenly. Or maybe it was a slow build up which finally reached its crescendo. Who knew? Dream with his brittle mental state certainly not.

He was going to break.

Each visit, may it be from Tommy, Ranboo, Bad or Sapnap, brought him closer to this conclusion. It was however during a routine check-up from Sam, that it set in. A few words, one of the rare ones he got nowadays, suddenly sent his fatigued mind into a rapid set of realizations.

And the only thing Sam mentioned was, with a certain amount of standard annoyance: “Just eat the potatoes or you’ll join the skeletons outside”.

Dream would join the skeletons. How would he join the skeletons? His slow thought process took until the Warden had left to finally pick up speed.

He couldn’t die, so that option was out. He had made certain that on the grounds of the prison, Sam was the ultimate authority on everything. Even life or death. Any respawn here was a non-canon one, as long as Sam willed it to be so. Normally this process would be arduous for the world owners and respawns would be subjected to the will of the world, if they were canon or not, but on the compacted ground of the prison, only a small amount of power would suffice.

Dream knew from experience. The Admin had tried often enough to keep his world from taking another set life, only to be drained oh so quickly of his magic. Small areas however were much easier as he had learned over time. It had brought him another reason to join his friends in all their shenanigans, other than to just enjoy himself. Not that those reasons had lasted.

So not death then. Why else had the Warden mentioned that then?

It took him longer than he would have liked normally, to get to the answer. While trudging back to his lectern, still overthinking those few words, Dream tripped. He fell almost flat on his face. Half dulled shards of Obsidian cut painfully across the lengths of his body, snapping an almost sudden clarity into him.

He sat up slowly, looking at his bony arms. Normally he would have caught himself while falling. Normally he wouldn’t even have fallen. The stark contrast of dark obsidian and pale white skin on skinny forearms, showed clearly what only a small amount of activity and almost no food had done to his body. Raised scars in-between the countless freckles, purpling bruises and cuts, burned patches of skin overlapping his once strong and trustworthy physique.

He really was turning into a skeleton. But not only physically.

Drops of glowing violet from the crying obsidian landed on his forearms, only to disappear soon after. They felt heavy during those seconds on his skin. A slow underlying tremble overcame his body.

It couldn’t go on like this. Dream knew he was meant to be here forever. Or however long it took the SMP to finally take advantage of his abilities. He had wanted to give them that chance. But no one had come until now. Only to visit, to talk, to reassure, to threaten, to see, to berate. But never to truly use him until now. Dream couldn’t stay like this. Not anymore.

He wouldn’t become a skeleton. Neither physically nor mentally.

The prison might have dulled him, in mind and in body, but it hadn’t broken him, not yet. And to make certain it wouldn’t happen, he had to get out.

His escape wouldn’t be a hopeful “eventually” anymore, repeatedly written on smoky paper. No, he would make it a certainty.

\-------

Once the decision had been made a plan came along as well. He may have helped in constructing the prison, to be able to keep anyone in. His own ideas and thoughts might have influenced the layout and workings greatly, making it almost impossible to escape. But one thing had always been true for Dream and proved itself to be even now. In the face of strong adversity his abilities and intellect had always shone the brightest.

The escape was a combination of timing, physical exertion and his own admin magic.

First, he annoyed the Warden greatly, by throwing himself several times into the warm embrace of the lava. At this point the brief seconds of burning pain were so familiar, he didn’t even blink an eye. The action brought him a few seconds of warm comfort as well, chasing away the chill in his otherwise cold body.

_Dream tried to swim in lava  
Dream tried to swim in lava  
Dream tried to swim in lava_

Those messages were sent to the entire SMP several times over, causing small uncomfortable glances on their communicators and awkward low kept conversations. One or two even looked towards the prison, frowns decorating their faces.

For a while now the Warden had stopped checking up on him when he threw himself into liquid stone. Probably to stop giving him the attention he originally often received when he did that. Depriving him of another thing he so desperately seeked.

New burn scars joined his growing collection, only to disappear after several non-canon respawns. The only wounds to truly linger were the ones that had taken a few of his several canon lives. The newest ones of which were a twisted slash mark, where his shoulder met his neck, caused by an axe that has never brought peace and a nightmarish stab wound through his gut with burn marks around it, produced by enchantments and a sword he himself had poured his energy into.

After having died for the utmost time, he landed slightly lightheaded in the waterhole. A jitter went through his body at having the abrupt change of burning pain, to sudden lukewarm water. Old fading burn marks had been covered by countless new ones. The slight smell of roasted meat made his empty stomach cramp from hunger. Starvation and a sudden lack of new adrenaline made him tired on his feet. But he couldn’t stop now.

Dream knew he had to get out of here, before he lacked the power to do anything anymore.

The second step however was made harder, because of his already grown weakness. He had to climb up the shaft that deposited him in his respawn waterhole.

Carved obsidian was literally smooth as glass, only a few chips here and there to give any kind of real hold. But he hadn’t been a master at climbing, conquering rock faces and jumping through trees, just to fail here. It wasn’t even the first time he had to climb this material, given his past love for it. However things were oh so different now.

If he fell several times in an attempt to do something he could have normally done easily, no one was around to witness it. Only he could scold himself for every little mishap and misstep.

To open up the closed piston above him, that blocked his path after a few blocks high and he always crashed into during the respawn process, he had to rely on his admin magics. Which were already severely limited.

Taking control of a part of land, even though he had originally created it, that he had given power over to someone else, was draining. Especially since his reserves were largely diminished after he had split off DreamXD to at least protect the last still standing rule.

But he had enough to do what he needed to do.

Several weeks of not spending any energy on that part of his abilities, had let him accumulate enough. Even if summoning the far dredges of his magic caused his nose to drip crimson blood down into the waterhole, painted the edges of his vision grey and caused his creeping exhaustion to be more pronounced, it was worth it.

One redstone signal, a few awkward meters climbing and a broken bed later, Dream let himself fall back into the pink tinged waterhole. He didn’t take a single moment to catch his breath or release the tension in his cramping muscles. Sam probably noticed the breaking of such an important block in his prison, the same way Dream noticed every activity in his SMP.

Which is why he sprinted to the lava and threw himself into its warm embrace one last time, to hopefully forever complete his game.

_Dream tried to swim in lava_

He respawned outside the obsidian walls of Pandora's Vault.

\------

In the first moment Dream was disoriented. He was literally blind from the light and he had to protect his blurry eyes by closing them. He heard birds chirp in the trees of the spawn junk, such a confusing sound after only the bubbling of lava, the ticking of his not yet burned clocks and the dripping of crying obsidian. For the rest he heard the wind rustle through the leaves and let cool air touch his face. He felt tear tracks he hadn’t noticed until now chill his skin.

There was soft grass underneath his bruised and cut up naked feet and after standing on only obsidian after so long, the slight discomfort of grass blades in his wounds and on his sore soles, was overshadowed by the pure feeling of it.

The lands around him felt so familiar, they felt like his, because they were. His connection, blocked by obsidian walls and given land, was rekindled with an overwhelming sense of relief. Energy, little wisps of it, nurtured the empty pit of his magic. He felt every single object, creature and action close to him, in a way no one else could. And he gave back, soothing the small mishaps and glitches that had accumulated in his absence in the world code automatically, directing the flow of everything to stabilize the lands he had put himself into.

A gentle give and take, between him and every chunk of his SMP, a symbiotic relationship that would last until his final breath. Being almost completely blocked from it had made him miss something that was so intricately a part of him, he never noticed it until it was gone. Never again would he allow that to happen. Never again.

He basked in the feeling of being a true part of his world again.

For just one moment, Dream breathed in the sweet outside air, without smoke or heat. For one moment he shifted his toes between the grass blades. For one moment he let a smile graze his lips in between the still freshly flowing tears. For one moment Dream let himself just enjoy what he had accomplished and regained.

Then he forced open his eyes and began to punch a tree.

Sam certainly had noticed his escape, which meant he didn’t have much time. The hunt was on.

\------

Dream came further than he ever expected in his condition. He always was someone to drive himself to the limit, only to jump over it and run even further. His Manhunts had only driven that characteristic until it was one of his endless tools to survive.

But like in his Manhunts, there always were certain people that made this skill essential. Like so often before, it was Sapnap who reached him first. Sapnap, the most skilled of his previous hunter friends, often capable of matching him the longest in their battles. However, instead of a friendly competition in an attempt to see how far he and his chasers could go, this meetup was founded on an underlying air of seriousness and grim determination.

This time truly only one of them was walking away and the comparison of Netherite equipment against a measly stone axe and quickly crafted shield, a well-rested and fit body against a half-starved, skeletal form made it obvious who it would be.

“You should have stayed in prison, Dream”, were the first words spoken in the forest clearing of their meet-up. Sapnaps soft words were sad but determined.

Dream had to take a moment between his panting breaths to gather himself. He was truly tired. A slightly deranged grin began to stretch over his lips. There was no mask to cover it, there hasn’t been since his first death at the hands of Tommy. Sapnap slightly blanched at the sight of it.

“You guys didn’t really give me much of a choice. Either this or the prison”, he spoke haltingly, with a scratchy voice from disuse, grin still etched into his face and breath panting in between his words. A determined fire that had been missing for so long ignited in his chest. He could do this. It was for the best.

Dream went on, standing up to his full height, naked without armor, clad in his scuffed green get-up. “Either I would get one last fight or I would become an empty husk. As you can see, I made my choice”, in those words he lifted his arms in an open gesture to show himself fully to his pursuer.

It was like he was saying, look at me. I’m here, I’m out. What are you gonna do now?

The pose wouldn’t have been amiss with a confident grin on his cheeks. He certainly had struck it self confidently before in his Manhunts. This time however, there was no self-assured laugh to go with it. Only tired emerald eyes and slightly sunken shoulders.

Dream shifted his body as soon as he was done with his display, tightening his grip on the axe and getting into a defensive stance.

Sapnap mirrored him, while something akin to grief crossed his features. “There were more choices Dream. You just didn’t realize.” A tremble went through his axe. “I wish you had realized...”, he trailed off silently.  
The shorter arsonist took a deep breath. His stance steadied. “I will do as I promised, Dream. Make it a fight worthy of this”

“That I will”, was the answer, face now a stoic mask.

A second long they both looked in their opponents faces, searching for something. They both found it. A lone bird call went over the clearing, then they were moving.

The fight lasted longer than anyone would have expected. The odds may have been all in favor of Sapnap, but Dream as always was stubborn until the end. Axes were blocked, shields were broken, a few stray arrows tried their best to hit their targets.

Bruises developed on their trembling shield arms, while shallow cuts began to decorate Dreams' already worn form, from when he wasn’t fast enough to completely dodge. Any hits on Sapnap scraped uselessly against armor or were quickly healed with food or golden apples.

Blood splatters began decorating the grass, as huffs of exertion sounded over the clearing. Far off you could hear the approaching running steps of several people, as well as their calls. The fighters took notice but didn’t stop their combat.

It was the moment that the first of the other members of the SMP finally reached the clearing, that the fight was decided.

Dream slipped up, either on his own bleeding feet or the splattered bloody grass. The loss of footing gave Sapnap just the opening he needed to run him through with his sword. Gasps went around the clearing and a grunt of pain was heard from Dream.

The blade was close to his heart, fatal without help. Not that anyone would help him. He knew that. He knew that only too well.

The Admin dropped his hastily crafted gear and grabbed the deadly sword with one hand, keeping the blade plunged in his body. The other reached for Sapnap himself, gripping him by the front of his armour. As Dream crumbled to the ground, he took the younger with him.

“Finally took me down, ey”, Dream said weakly between the welling blood in his mouth. His hand on Sapnaps armor moved to his best friend's cheek, wiping the flowing tears there.

The other sniffled. “It shouldn’t have come this far”, he murmured, mirroring Dreams gesture and leaving a bloody handprint on his cheek. “It really shouldn’t have…”. His voice was small and filled with regret for everything that had happened to bring them here.

“Mmmmh, don’t regret it now Sapnap. What’s done is done”. A cough brought more red liquid into his mouth. “Make the best with what you still have”.  
The hand on the arsonist’s cheek wandered to the back of his head, gripping the hair and bandana there, bringing him closer to the dying man with surprising strength.  
“Pandas, listen closely”, Dream whispered into his ear. “You will find the book in my old room in the community house, hidden behind a few blocks. Use it wisely. You probably can’t make the most of it without me there, you will see what I mean. Communicating with the dead should be easier, however” A bloody smile painted itself across his face, as a single stray tear fell from emerald eyes.

His arms lost their grip and fell back to the ground, having finally lost its strength after the entire arduous escape. Finally being allowed to lose their strength, as their owners' stubborn will had been rewarded. 

Sapnap was thus suddenly released from his hold. The younger sat back with surprise in his eyes, mouth gaping open. Confusion and disbelief battling it out in his face.

Calls came from the people around them, who were slowly inching closer. An underlying hint of caution and doubt at the scene they were witnessing holding them back. The two combatants didn’t take notice.

“Do try to not start too many fires while I’m gone…” The sentence trailed off weakly. A wracking cough that moved the sword in his chest and had blood gushing out of his mouth, took Dreams body. He looked up lying down and saw the blue sky, dotted with puffy clouds. He had missed this sight, he thought, eyes slowly losing their shine. A small sigh escaped him, as with a final shudder the body grew still.

Then it was gone.

Leaving only a young man, painted in his friends’ blood, a chaotic scene of a fight and the rest of the SMP with differing reactions alone on the clearing.

**_Dream was slain by Sapnap_**

The message on everyone's communicators conveyed the sense of finality, that only a canon death had. Everyone who read it, felt it.

“That’s three. The bastard is gone”, someone in the ring of people spoke.

\------

Far away, back at the spawn chunk, a body appeared out of thin air. The green clad man coughed once violently and rubbed the new scar close to his heart. This one would stay, no matter how often he would respawn.

Instead of the elation he thought he would feel, Dream only felt tired. He felt oh so tired. Maybe now he would finally be able to get some sleep for the first time in he didn’t know how many months. Some rest really didn’t sound so bad to him right now.

Gathering the magic he had regained throughout his time running through his land, he chose a place in his world, as far away from everything as possible. He would rest and recuperate there. As soon as he had regained his strength, he could try to fix his world again, but for now he needed peace.

He just wanted peace.

A split second later the figure was gone from the chunk, teleported away from all the discord and connections that existed in the heart of his world, but not without the silent promise of returning one day.

**Author's Note:**

> First work so constructive criticism is more than welcome! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
> 
> At the moment this is a one-shot, not to say I have no idea how to continue (rather it's the opposite), but that I lack motivation and sometimes time to write more. Maybe that will change.  
> Have a nice day or night and stay safe!
> 
> Edit: Seeing everyone's reaction I plan to continue this, probably as a series! So stay tuned...


End file.
